the book pumpkin

I finished my book pumpkin. Isn't it great? Honestly, it didn't turn out how I had imagined in my head, but that's the case with pretty much every project I've ever done. And even though I'm sure there are tutorials all over Pinterest with informative pictures and instructions, I'm going to tell you how I made this one.

The concise version goes something like this:
1. Get an old book and remove the cover.
2. Cut the pages.
3. Glue the binding around a stick to make a circle.
4. Paint and embellish.

But no one ever accused me of being concise. Here is the long version of creating my pumpkin:

1. Get a hardbound book to use, preferably old, I think it just looks better. I got mine for $1.50 at the thrift store. It's an encyclopedia of sorts, which really doesn't matter, except that I like all the words and I liked that the edges of the pages were already a rust color.

2. Take off the covers.

3. Decide where you want to cut the pages. You could get all technical and find a circle template, but I just free-handed a round edge at the top and the bottom of the page.

4. Take a very sharp razor blade and start cutting the pages. I emphasize very sharp because I used a dull blade for the first few cuts and ended up with shredded paper everywhere.

5. Change a diaper. Fill a sippy with milk. Put on Dora.

6. Cut some more.

7. Change another diaper. Figure out why little people are crying. Supply little people with food. Lots of food.

8. Finish cutting pages.

9. Get a stick, or something to use a stem. I used an apple tree branch. Don't be like me. Find a stick or something that is straight and you'll save yourself some headache.

10. Glue the stick into the backside of the book binding and fold the binding around so you make a circle with the pages. You can also glue the first and last pages together to help form the circle. As you can see in the picture, I glued my stick in upside down. Don't be like me. Since I thought it would be better to use A LOT of hot glue, I then had to cut out A LOT of hot glue to remove the stick and glue it back in the proper direction. In hindsight, I could have left the stick in upside down and no one would have ever known, but that's the problem with hindsight. It happens after you need it.

11. Now here's the part where I lost interest in this project. You have to just start bending and pressing pages around until they fan out like you want them to. I used a book that has thin-ish pages and they didn't fan out the way I wanted. Don't be like me. Buy a book with thicker pages.

12. Turn your back for a minute and have your book stolen by your child. Find your book flopped over on the floor with half the pages bent and stuck together. Start the fanning process all over again. This step is optional.

13. Let your book sit around for a week or two or more before you finish it. This step is also optional.

14. Spray paint your pumpkin. I was pretty lazy at this step, especially since my pages were already colored on the edges. But it did add some strength to pages.

15. Embellish as desired with various items that can be found at the Dollar Store, but can also be found at stores not coated with mystery stains and foul smells, such as Michaels or JoAnn's or even Walmart (ugh).

16. Find a place to display your cute new pumpkin. Decide it looks best on the hearth. Leave it unattended and your toddler will start to eat the berries. Remove it from the hearth and look for a much safer, and higher, location for the pumpkin to reside.

I'm still working on that last step. Now go make a pumpkin of your own, because if I can do it, certainly you can too. Oh, and tell me about it because I like sharing.